The vast interstellar port stretched before them.
Starships of every shape had already docked neatly in their berths.
Their engines gave off low energy hums, like great beasts growling before a long journey.
Each starship carried a genius home or toward a new beginning.
Li Wen and Blood Edge stood together on the port's farewell platform.
From this vantage point, the starships seemed even more immense, and the grandeur of interstellar travel struck them all the more deeply.
They watched in silence.
One by one, the young people who had poured their sweat into this place boarded their starships, carrying the gains and hard-won lessons of the past year.
A sense of parting rose unbidden in both their hearts.
"Goodbye, Li Wen!" Lauen Make appeared in the hatch of an elegant starship.
He stopped, turned, and waved hard at Li Wen on the platform. His voice rang out, filled with genuine reluctance to leave and heartfelt good wishes.
"Goodbye!" Li Wen raised his hand in return and nodded firmly.
Their eyes met. Both knew that this parting in the physical world meant seeing each other again in person would be extraordinarily difficult, perhaps impossible, for many years to come.
At their current level, the vast physical distances of the universe remained an impassable chasm.
The Virtual Universe would be the only place their paths could cross.
The roar of engines swelled abruptly, and surging exhaust flared with dazzling light.
One after another, the starships rose smoothly, cutting across the sky above the base.
They became streaks of light and vanished in an instant against the depths of space, leaving only faint energy trails behind.
Soon, the bustling port stood empty and forlorn.
Only the fading hum of engines echoed through the enormous space.
In the vast port, only Li Wen